LOTTERYSince 1972 when its first game Sin went on sale, the Pennsylvania Lottery has contributed more than $14.6 billion to programs such as Property Tax/Rent Rebate, administered by the Department of Revenue; the Mass Transit Program for older residents, administered by the Department of Transportation; the low-cost prescription drug programs PACE and PACENET, administered by the Department of Aging; and the 52 Area Agencies on Aging throughout the Commonwealth, including 650 full and part-time senior community centers.

The Pennsylvania Lottery remains the only lottery in the nation that exclusively targets all of its proceeds to programs for older residents. In fiscal year 2003-2004, the Lottery achieved sales of more than $2.35 billion; program contributions were over $810 million.

By law, the Pennsylvania Lottery must contribute 30 cents of each dollar earned to programs and 40 cents to players in the form of prize money. The Lottery surpassed these requirements again in fiscal year 2003-2004, contributing about 34.5 cents of each dollar to programs for older residents, while about 55.1 cents was returned to players in the form of prize money. The Lottery operates on approximately 2.4 percent, making it one of the most efficiently run lotteries in the nation.

The Lehigh Valley tends to have moderate temperatures and more than moderate precipitation, usually with more than three inches in any given month. The summer brings abundant rain showers. In the winter, proximity to the Poconos makes Allentown between 5 to 10 degrees cooler than Philadelphia, which is only 50 miles south.

The growing season lasts anywhere from 170 to 185 days, beginning late April and ending late October. These dates about coincide with the last spring and first fall temperatures below 32 degrees, respectively.

Despite considerable humidity, the Valley infrequently gets exceedingly hot during spring and summer. Winter is more inconsistent, with variable amounts of snowfall, but this season too is often mild. Minimal temperatures during the winter are typically several degrees below freezing. The Lehigh Valley does not often see extremes; only rarely do 100-degree days or snowstorms of 10 or more inches occur.